2025 El Dia Recap Part 2: Student Presenter Awards and Faculty-Staff Super Hero Awards

April 1, 2025
From the El Dia Committee: Nathan Strom, Hossein Yousefi Sohi, James Lende, Mohammad Farmani, and Omid Zandi
2025 El Dia Award and Prize Winners
Top Row: Nathan Strom, Jack Flanigan, Annalisa Minke, Taiwo Ajayi, Omid Zandi, Thabo Makgoale, Sabrina Wilson
Bottom Row: Andrew Bennett, Patricia Puente, Hossein Yousefi Sohi, Jordan Brendecke 
At the final awards ceremony for the 2025 El Dia del Agua y la Atmosfera student research symposium, oral and poster presenters were recognized for their research presentations and faculty and staff were honored with this year's Super Hero awards.
 
Donald R. Davis Undergraduate Distinction Award -- Sponsored by SRP 

Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Award in Hydrology - $500 

  • Jack Flanigan - Recharge Feasibility of Tucson Stormwater Infrastructure

Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Award in Atmospheric Sciences - $500 

  • Annalisa Minke - A Statistical Analysis of Applying Haar Wavelets to Predict Planetary Boundary Layer Decoupling 

Glenn E. Shaw Prize -- Sponsored by HAS Advisory Board

First Place Poster Presentation in Atmospheric Sciences - $1,000 

  • Jordann Brendecke - Analysis of CCCma Radiative Transfer Calculations for Low-Level Overcast Clouds Over ENA and SGP
Benjamin M. Herman Award -- Sponsored by Alumni of Benjamin M. Herman

Second Place Poster Presentation in Atmospheric Sciences - $500

  • Thabo Makgoale - Quantifying Precipitation Efficiency in Tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems: Insights from Global Cloud-Resolving Models and IMERGE Observations
Arizona Hydrological Society Prize -- Sponsored by Arizona Hydrological Society (AHS)

First Place Poster Presentation in Hydrology - $1,000 

  • Patricia Puente - Evaluating the Impact of Spatial Resolution on Surface Water Mapping in the Colorado River Basin
Stanley Davis Award -- Sponsored by Peter Mock

Second Place Poster Presentation in Hydrology - $500 

  • Hossein Yousefi Sohi - Stochastic-Deterministic Fusion: A Generative Downscaling Framework for High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting and Hydrologic Applications
Montgomery Prize -- Sponsored by Errol L. Montgomery & Associates, Inc.

Most Outstanding Oral Presentation in Hydrology - $2,500

  • Omid Zandi - UofA-HIPAA V1: University of Arizona High Latitude Infrared-based Precipitation retrieval Algorithm using AVHRR sensor Version 1

Second Place Prize for Oral Presentation in Hydrology - $500 

  • Nathan Strom - Assessing Groundwater Recharge Feasibility Across Soil Textures and Environmental Factors Using a Python-Integrated HYDRUS-1D Workflow
E. Philip Krider Prize -- Sponsored by Dr. E. Philip Krider

Most Outstanding Oral Presentation in Atmospheric Sciences - $2,500

  • Sabrina Wilson - Parameterizing Biochar Effect on Climate-Smart Agriculture Using Artificial Intelligence and Land Surface Model

Second Place Prize for Oral Presentation in Atmospheric Sciences - $500 

  • Taiwo Ajayi - An Examination of the Weekly Periodicity of Surface Ozone Concentrations in Tucson, Arizona
Thomas Meixner Spirit Award -- Sponsored by Meixner Memorial Foundation

Award in Honor of the Late Dr. Tom Meixner - $500

  • Hossein Yousefi Sohi
Super Hero Awards -- Sponsored by Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences Student Association (HASSA) 

Storm - Ave Arellano

Captain Planet - Andrew Bennett